U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARY 


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UC-NRLF 


B    3    T3b    floq 


YIN  CHIH  WEN 


THE  TRACT  OF  THE  QUIET  WAY 


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YIN  CHIH  WEN 


THE  TRACT  OF  THE  QUIET 
WAY  WITH  EXTRACTS  FROM 
THE  CHINESE  COMMENTARY 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  CHINESE  BY 

TEITARO  SUZUKI  AND  DR.  PAUL  CARUS 


EDITED    BY 

DR'.  PAUL  CARUS 


WITH  FRONTISPIECB 


THE  OPEN   COURT  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

LA  SALLE  ILLINOIS 

1943 


coptriqht  bt 
Thb   Open    Court    Publishing   Co. 

CHICAGO,    u.    s.    A. 

1906 
All  rights  reaervei. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 
By  Paquin  Printers,  Chicago 


yss' 


CONTENTS. 

PACK 

Introduction 3 

Yin    Chih 3 

Wen  Ch'ang  Ti   Chiin 7 

Kwan  Ti  and  Wen   Ch'ang g 

Chang-0 10 

The   Chinese  Title 11 

The  Age  of  the  Yin  Chih  Wen 12 

The  Tract  of  the  Quiet  Way 17 

Notes  of  the  Chinese  Commentator 25 

Man's  Indebtedness  to  the  Lord 25 

Heaven   and    Earth 25 

A  Good  Judge 26 

Humaneness    Rewarded 27 

Saving  Many  Lives 29 

The  Double-headed   Snake 30 

The  Foundation  of  Bliss 31 

Seek  Truth  for  the  Sake  of  Salvation 32 

The  Disease  of  Egotism 32 

Filial   Piety 33 

Several    Ways 34 

Buddhism  and  Confucianism 34 

A  Sympathetic  Heart 35 

The  Voice  Within 36 

Translator's  Notes 39 

Index 47 


ivi578180 


INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  Yin  Chih  Wen  is  a  religio-ethical  tract,  which, 
in  spite  of  its  popularity  all  over  the  Middle 
Kingdom,  has  not  as  yet,  so  far  as  we  know,  been 
translated  into  any  Western  language.  Next  to  the 
Kan-Ying  P'ien  it  is  read  and  studied  and  taught  both 
in  schools  and  at  the  home,  and  there  is  probably  no 
family  in  China  without  it;  but  its  contents  are  very 
little  known  in  the  Western  world,  and  we  have  only 
once  met  with  references  to  it  by  Professor  Douglas 
in  his  Confucianism  and  Taouism  under  the  title  of 
"Book  of  Secret  Blessings."* 

YIN  CHIH. 

It  is  difficult  to  translate  the  title  of  the  book. 
All  we  can  say  is  that  the  rendering  by  Douglas,  "Book 
of  Secret  Blessings,"  does  not  recommend  itself;  but 
the  truth  is  that  an  exact  translation  which  would  be 
as  terse  and  as  expressive  as  is  the  Chinese,  appears 
to  be  all  but  impossible. 

We  have  long  been  in  doubt  as  to  what  English 
words  would  best  express  the  term  Yin  Chih,  and  we 

*  Professor  Douglas's  book  is  one  in  the  series  of  Non- 
Christian  Religious  Systems  published  by  the  Society  for  the 
Advancement  of  Christian  Knowledge.  His  reference  to  the 
Yin  Chih  Wen  is  made  on  pp.  256  and  272. 


4  YIN    CHIH   WEN. 

have  seriously  considered  the  following  three  possi- 
bilities: "secret  virtue,"  "heaven's  quiet  dispensation," 
and  "mysterious  workings."  None  of  these  versions 
would  be  incorrect,  but  they  do  not  sufficiently  express 
the  full  meaning  of  the  term.  The  first  and  second 
express  two  meanings  which  ought  to  be  combined 
into  one  such  as  is  the  third,  in  order  to  serve  as  an 
equivalent  of  this  peculiar  expression ;  and  we  have 
finally  decided  to  render  our  title  The  Tract  of  the 
Quiet  Way,  which,  however,  though  it  is  sufficiently 
broad  and  brief,  is  not  intelligible  without  further  ex- 
planation. 

The  word  chih  is  used  both  as  verb  and  as  noun. 
As  a  verb  it  means  "to  determine,"  "to  raise" ;  as  a 
noun  it  may  be  defined  by  "principle,"  "rule," 
"method,"  "dispensation,"  "way."*  The  word  yin 
means  "in  secret,"  either  in  the  sense  of  "unheeded" 
or  "unostentatious."  It  also  conveys  the  idea  of  any- 
thing possessed  with  a  deeper  meaning,  anything  mys- 
terious ;  and  the  two  words  together,  yin  chih,  denote 
the  quiet  way  of  Heaven,  which  works  out  the  ends 
of  divine  dispensation,  invisibly  yet  unfailingly,  to  the 
awe  and  astonishment  of  every  sapient  observer,  as 
says  the  Christian  hymn : 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform." 

If  we  had  to  translate  these  lines  into  Chinese,  we 

*The  character  is  presumably  phonetic.  It  consists  of  the 
radical  "horse,"  which  is  modified  by  the  symbol  "to  ascend," 
"to  go  up  higher,"  the  latter  being  a  compound  of  "higher"  and 
"to  step  up."  In  common  language  the  word  chih  means  "stal- 
lion," but  we  may  be  sure  that  this  is  an  accidental  homophony. 
A  sameness  of  sound  led  to  the  use  of  the  same  character,  an 
occurrence  which  is  very  frequent  in  the  Chinese  language. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

might  render  the  words  "a  mysterious  way"  very  ap- 
propriately by  yin  chih. 

It  is  an  old  maxim  of  the  traditional  wisdom  of 
China  which  is  most  emphatically  insisted  upon  by 
Lao  Tze  and  all  the  sages  of  his  school,  that  these 
quiet  ways  of  Heaven  should  be  imitated  by  man.  As 
Heaven  lets  its  sun  shine  upon  good  and  evil,  without 
discrimination  and  also  without  expecting  reward  or 
advantages ;  so  man  should  do  good  to  his  fellows,  per- 
form acts  of  rectitude,  of  justice,  and  of  mercy,  show 
benevolence  and  kindness  toward  all  in  an  impartial 
spirit  without  cherishing  ulterior  motives,  without 
hope  of  reward,  and  without  desire  for  praise.  The 
man  who  thus  imitates  "Heaven's  quiet  way"  in  un- 
ostentatiously realizing  the  ideal  of  heavenly  goodness 
is  truly  virtuous,  and  so  yin  chih  has  also  come  to  de- 
note a  condition  which  may  be  characterized  as,  and 
translated  by,  "secret  virtue,"  reminding  us  of  Christ's 
injunction  not  to  let  our  right  hand  know  what  the 
left  hand  is  doing  (Matt.  vi.  1-4). 

In  the  title  of  the  book  the  words  Yin  Chih  cover 
the  general  idea  of  the  "secret  ways"  both  as  they  are 
working  in  the  divine  dispensation  and  in  human  ac- 
tion, and  if  either  meaning  predominates  we  should 
say  that  it  is  certainly  the  former — the  quiet  ways  of 
Heaven  which  determine  the  destiny  of  man  and  which 
are  described  by  Shakespeare  as 

"A  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough-hew  them  how  we  will." 

—Hamlet,  VI,  1-4. 

The  word  chih  occurs  for  the  first  time  in  Chinese 
literature  in  the  "Great  Plan"  of  the  Shu  King,  and 
there  it  is  used  in  the  verbal  sense  "to  regulate,  to  rule, 


6  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

to  determine."     The  commentator  of  the   Yin   Chih 
Wen  explains  the  title  in  the  following  words: 

"In  the  'Great  Plan,'  a  chapter  of  the  Slwh 
King,  we  read:  'wei  tien  yin  chih  hsia  min/  [Only 
I  Heaven  |  mysteriously  |  rules  |  below  |  the  people] 
and  a  gloss  explains  the  word  chih  by  ting,  'to  de- 
termine.' " 

The  quoted  passage  means  that  "Heaven  alone,  in 
a  quiet  or  mysteriously  unnoticeable  way,  directs  the 
affairs  of  mankind  living  below  on  earth." 
The  commentator  continues: 

"The  human  soul  is  most  intelligent  and  its 
essential  nature  is  intrinsically  good.  All  our  moral 
relations  and  daily 'actions  have  their  reasons  why 
they  should  be  so.  When  Heaven  above  created 
these  beings  it  mysteriously  endowed  them  with 
something  to  guide  (ting)  them,  and  this  some- 
thing appears  when  the  people  practise  goodness. 
Indeed  it  is  the  guiding  (ting)  principle  of  crea- 
tion that  good  men  never  lose  an  opportunity  to 
do  what  is  good.  If  you  really  practise  it  (i.  e., 
the  good)  in  your  heart  it  is  not  necessary  that 
others  should  know  of  it,  for  there  is  something  in 
the  unseen  which  fully  regulates  and  determines 
(ting)  your  affairs.  Those  who  deny  this  fact 
commit  a  secret  (yin)  sin  (o)  and  their  retribu- 
tion will  be  speedy.  Therefore  this  book  is  called 
Yin  Chih." 

The  words  Yin  Chih  ("the  quiet  way,"  or  more 
explicitly,  "the  mysterious  dispensation  of  Heaven 
showing  itself  in  man's  unostentatious  virtue")  are 
opposed  to  yin  o,  i.  e.,  "the  hidden  evil  in  the  bad  man  s 
heart."  The  word  o  (a  compound  of  "crookedness" 
and  "heart")  is  the  common  term  for  evil  or  badness. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

The  contrast  in  which  yin  chih  stands  to  yin  p  explains 
how  far  it  would  be  proper  to  translate  our  title  by 
"secret  virtue." 

Considering-  the  fact  that  the  word  "way"  in  Eng- 
lish is  as  broad  as  the  meaning  of  chih  in  Chinese,  and 
that  the  former  is  widely  used  with  a  deep  religious 
significance,  we  have  finally  chosen  as  a  translation  of 
our  title  the  term  "the  quiet  way."  We  are  fully  con- 
scious of  the  shortcomings  of  our  rendering,  but  our 
readers  will  bear  in  mind  the  original  sense  and  become 
accustomed  to  our  translation  by  associating  it  with 
its  right  interpretation. 

WEN   CH'ANG  TI   CHUN. 

Our  frontispiece,  drawn  by  Shen  Chin-Ching,  rep- 
resents Wen  Ch'ang  Ti  Chiin,  one  of  the  highest  di- 
vinities of  China,  revealing  himself  to  the  author  of 
the  tract.  Wen  Ch'ang  is  the  name  of  the  god,  and 
Ti  Chiin  his  title. 

The  picture  represents  the  god  as  accompanied 
by  two  attendants.  The  white  charger  on  which  he 
has  come  down  from  heaven  stands  in  the  foreground. 
The  god  is  seated  on  a  stool  and  the  scribe  of  the 
book  reverently  kneels  before  him  holding  the  Yin 
Chih  Wen  in  his  hands. 

The  inscription  of  the  picture  reads  Ti  tze  Shen 
Chin-Ching  hui,  which  means  "the  humble  disciple 
Shen  Chin-Ching  pinxit."  Ti  means  "younger  brother," 
and  tze  "child,"  here  used  as  a  diminutive.  "Little 
younger  brother"  is  the  usual  term  meaning  "disciple," 
or  "devotee,"  by  which  title  the  artist  here  calls  him- 
self to  indicate  that  he  is  a  follower  of  the  religious 
doctrines  taught  in  the  Yin  Chih  Wen. 


8  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

Wen  Ch'ang  means  "scripture  glory." 

The  word  zvoi  is  the  same  character  which  occurs 
in  the  last  word  of  the  title  of  our  book.  It  denotes 
writing  in  general,  and  is  especially  applied  to  short 
exhortations  of  a  religious  nature  such  as  are  com- 
monly called  in  Western  terminology  "tracts."  Hence 
we  translate  "The  Tract  of  the  Quiet  Way,"  not  "the 
book,"  as  Douglas  has  it.  With  reference  to  the  god's 
name,  we  translate  wen  by  "scripture,"  because  in 
English  the  term  scripture  refers  mainly  to  religious 
literature  and  is  similar  to  the  Chinese  original  in  so 
far  as  it  has  a  devotional  ring. 

Ch'ang  means  "glory"  or  "radiance,"  the  character 
being  composed  of  two  suns,  indicating  an  intensified 
brightness  of  light. 

To  characterize  the  god  Wen  Ch'ang  or  "scripture 
glory"  as  god  of  literature  (as  is  sometimes  done)  is, 
to  say  the  least,  misleading.  He  is  the  god  of  learn- 
ing in  general,  and  in  Chinese  high  schools  a  hall  is 
dedicated  to  him  as  the  patron  saint  of  education,  re- 
finement, and  especially  moral  instruction  through  re- 
ligious books.  Belles  lettres  form  only  one  and  in  fact 
an  insignificant  branch  of  his  department.  He  is, 
above  all,  the  god  of  divine  revelation  through  scrip- 
ture. 

The  rank  of  Wen  Ch'ang  in  the  world  of  gods, 
is  "Emperor"  or  "Ti,"  and  the  word  Ti  Chiin,  "the 
higher  emperor,"  is  commonly  translated  by  "lord 
superior." 

The  word  chiin  means  "superior,"  or  "master" ; 
and  so  "Ti  Chiin"  (Lord  Superior)  might  also  be 
translated  "imperial  master."  Chiin  is  the  term  by 
which  chiin  tse  the  "higher  man"  is  denoted  in  Lao 
Tze's   Tao   Teh  King,  an  anticipation  of  Nietzsche's 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

"superman,"  only  with  this  difference  that  Lao  Tze's 
"higher  man"  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  Christ 
and  Buddha,  while  Nietzsche's  "superman"  is  more 
like  Kubla  Khan,  or  Attila,  or  Napoleon.  The  term 
chilli  is  commonly  applied  also  to  leading  thinkers 
such  as  Lao  Tze  and  Confucius. 


KWAN    TI    AND    WEN    CH'ANG. 

The  title  Ti,  "emperor,"  is  also  borne  by  the  god 
of  war,  Kwan  Ti,  and  if  the  latter  is  compared  to  the 
archangel  IMichael,  the  former.  Wen  Ch'ang,  should 
be  likened  to  Gabriel.  In  fact,  we  cannot  deny  that 
there  is  a  strong  probability  of  historical  connection 
between  these  highest  princes  among  the  angels,  for 
the  conception  of  both  may  have  been  derived  from 
Babylonian  prototypes,  Michael  being  represented  by 
Marduk  and  Gabriel  by  Nebo. 

IMichael  means  literally  "who  is  like  God,"  and 
seems  to  designate  that  divine  presence  (viz.  the  in- 
effable name)  which  is  believed  to  be  equal  to  God; 
but  in  the  classical  period  of  Jewish  monotheism  the 
word  Michael  was  explained  not  as  a  characterization 
of  the  archangel  as  being  like  God,  but  as  expressing 
faith  in  monotheism,  implying  the  proposition  that  there 
is  no  second  to  God.  Michael,  according  to  the  angel 
lore  of  the  Hebrews,  is  the  representative  of  God,  and 
so  he  is  identified  with  God's  cause.  He  is  the  guard- 
ian angel  of  Israel,  the  chosen  people,  and  also  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  angelic  hosts.  As  Marduk 
fought  with  Tiamat,  so  Michael  wages  war  against 
the  dragon  (Rev.  xii.  7). 

Gabriel  is  as  different  in  character  from  Michael 
as  Wen   Ch'ang:  is   from   Kwan   Ti.     Gabriel   means 


10  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

"the  man  of  God."  He  is  deemed  superior  to  all  other 
angels  except  Michael  and  is  generally  represented  as 
the  angel  of  God's  special  revelation  and  the  inter- 
preter of  God's  intentions.  Thus,  it  is  Gabriel  who 
explains  Daniel's  vision ;  nor  can  we  doubt  that  the 
angel  with  an  inkhorn  by  his  side,  mentioned  in  Eze- 
kiel  X.  2-3,  was  Gabriel,  the  scribe  of  God.  Old  Testa- 
ment scholars  have  pointed  out  his  resemblance  to  the 
Babylonian  god  Nebo,  who  in  the  monuments  is  de- 
picted in  human  form  with  an  inkhorn  at  his  side, 
differently  from  the  Cherubim  (the  human  -  headed 
winged  bulls),  which  fact  throws  light  on  the  vision 
of  Ezekiel,  alluded  to  above,  and  shows  that  there  is 
a  specific  meaning  in  the  name  "man  of  God." 

In  the  New  Testament  Gabriel  continues  to  repre- 
sent God's  revelation.  It  is  he  who  announces  the 
birth  of  John  the  Baptist  and  of  Jesus.  There  is  no 
figure  in  Christian  tradition  which  would  resemble 
Wen  Ch'ang  more  closely  than  Gabriel. 

CHANG-0. 

As  Kwan  Ti,  the  god  of  war,  was  represented  to 
have  lived  on  earth  as  a  man,  so  Wen  Ch'ang,  or 
"scripture  glory,"  is  said  to  have  been  an  ancient  Chi- 
nese sage,  but  little  is  known  of  the  man  to  whom  the 
Chinese  tradition  refers. 

According  to  the  commentator,  "he  lived  during 
the  T'ang  dynasty  (620-950  A.  D.),  and  his  secular 
name  was  Chang-O.  Yiieh  was  his  native  province, 
but  later  he  moved  to  Tzu  T'ung  in  the  district  of  Shu. 
We  are  told  that  his  personality  was  distinguished  by 
nobility  and  piety.  His  writings  were  clear,  luminous, 
and  forcible.     He  began  to  exercise  a  moral  power 


INTRODUCTION.  II 

over  the  people,  who  unconsciously  felt  his  spirituality. 
He  entered  for  a  while  upon  an  official  career,  but,  not 
satisfied  with  the  course  of  politics,  he  resigned  his 
government  position  and  lived  as  a  saintly  recluse. 
The  people  of  Shu  showed  great  affection  for  him. 
and.  when  he  died,  built  a  temple  in  his  honor  calling 
it  'Temple  of  the  Sage  of  Tzu  T'ung.'  People  far  and 
near  came  to  offer  prayers  which  were  remarkably 
well  responded  to  by  the  sage.  Everybody,  then,  said, 
'There  is  in  the  heavens  a  star  called  Wen  Ch'ang ;  the 
sage  [i.  e.,  Chang-O]  must. have  been  its  incarnation.'  " 
Our  tract  bears  the  name  of  the  god  Wen  Ch'ang, 
and  accordingly  he  is  regarded  as  its  author,  or  at  least 
as  the  divinity  who  has  guided  the  pen  of  the  man  who 
composed  it;  but  (unless  we  assume  that  Chang-O 
was  the  author  which  is  not  positively  impossible)  the 
name  of  the  scribe  who  made  himself  the  mouthpiece 
of  Wen  Ch'ang  and  who  in  human  consideration 
ought  to  be  regarded  as  its  author,  is  not  recorded. 

THE  CHINESE  TITLE. 

We  reproduce  the  complete  title  of  the  Tract  of  the 
Quiet  Way  in  its  original  Chinese  characters  on  the 
fly  leaf  preceding  our  translation,  and  there  it  reads: 
"Wen-Chang  Ti-Chiin  Yin  Chih  Wen  Shih-Hsiin." 
This  means  in  a  verbatim  translation,  "[Of]  Scripture 
Glory,  [the]  Imperial  Master,  [the]  Quiet-Way-tract, 
normal  instruction."  The  last  tw'O  words  form  one 
idea  which  might  be  translated  "educational."  Shih 
means  "model,"  "norm"  or  "pattern" ;  and  hsiin,  "in- 
struction." In  their  combination  the  two  denote  that 
the  present  book  is  intended  to  serve  educational  pur- 


12  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

poses,  and  that  it  contains  the  estabHshed  or  orthodox 
standard  of  conduct. 


THE  AGE  OF  THE  YIN  CHIH  WEN. 

The  date  of  the  Yin  Chih  Wen  can  only  approxi- 
mately be  determined.  It  appears  that  it  cannot  be 
older  than  Chang-O  and  must  not  therefore  be  dated 
earlier  than  the  time  of  the  T'ang  dynasty.  In  the  days 
of  Kang-Hi,  however,  the  pamphlet  was  not  only  well 
known,  but  commented  upon  and  supplied  with  ex- 
planatory stories.  Accordingly  we  cannot  stray  far 
from  truth  when  we  look  upon  the  Yin  Chih  Wen  as 
approximately  simultaneous  with  the  Kan-Yin g  P'ien 
which  in  many  respects  it  greatly  resembles,  and  so 
we  would  say  that  we  should  certainly  not  set  the  date 
of  its  composition  later  than  about  1600  A,  D. 

Specialists  of  Chinese  literature  will  probably  be 
able  to  ascertain  the  age  of  the  Yin  Chih  Wen  more 
accurately  by  pointing  out  quotations  from  it  in  other 
books  whose  date  of  composition  is  unquestionable. 

The  original  Yin  Chih  Wen  consists  (i)  of  the 
tract  itself  which  is  here  translated,  (2)  of  glosses 
added  by  commentators,  and  finally  (3)  of  a  great 
many  stories  which  are  similar  to  the  stories  of  the 
Kan-Ying  P'ien,  except  that  they  are  more  rational 
and  appear  to  avoid  all  reference  to  miracles  and 
superstitious  agencies.  The  book  has  apparently  ap- 
pealed more  to  the  rationalistic  Confucianists  or  lit- 
erati, who,  while  upon  the  whole  agnostic,  exhibit  at 
the  same  time  due  respect  for  the  officially  recognized 
religions. 


INTRODUCTION.  I'^ 


EDITORIAL  COMMENTS. 

The  sinological  part  of  the  present  version  is  more 
exclusively  the  work  of  Mr.  Teitaro  Suzuki  than  in 
our  edition  of  the  Kan-Ying  P'ien;  and  in  our  own 
version  of  terms  and  other  details  we  have  not  been 
satisfied  until  we  had  his  assent. 

In  addition  to  the  text  of  the  Yin  Chih  Wen,  the 
editor  has  picked  out  from  the  Notes  of  the  Chinese 
Commentator  those  passages  that  appealed  to  him,  and 
has  abstained  from  publishing  any  one  of  the  stories, 
because  he  thought  that  Western  readers  would  not 
take  a  great  interest  in  them.  The  general  tenor  of 
these  moralizing  tales  is  sufficiently  indicated  in  the 
stories  of  the  Kan-Ying  P'ien. 

L'ENVOI. 

We  hope  that  the  publication  of  this  book  will  help 
Western  readers  to  understand  better  the  Chinese  char- 
acter and  especially  its  undeniable  fervor  for  moral 
ideals.  Though  the  Chinese  mind,  especially  among 
the  uneducated  classes,  is  filled  with  superstitious  no- 
tions, we  cannot  help  granting  that  the  character  of 
their  moral  maxims  ranges  very  high ;  and  we  must 
confess  that  among  all  the  nations  of  the  world  there 
is  perhaps  none  other  so  seriously  determined  to  live 
up  to  the  highest  standard  of  ethical  culture. 

An  appreciation  of  the  virtues  of  the  Chinese  will 
help  Western  people  to  treat  them  with  more  consid- 
eration, and  so  we  contribute  our  interpretation  of  this 
treatise  as  a  mite  towards  a  better  understanding  be- 
tween the  East  and  the  West,  between  the  white  races 
of  Europe  and  America  and  the  natives  of  Asia.    We 


14  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

hope  that  the  day  will  come  when  the  mutual  distrust 
will  disappear,  and  when  both  in  reciprocal  apprecia- 
tion of  their  natural  good  qualities,  will  be  anxious  to 
treat  each  other  with  fairness  and  brotherly  kindness. 

p.  c. 


X. 


it 


%K 


THE  TRACT  OF  THE  QUIET  WAY. 

The  Lord  says:^^' 

For  seventeen  generations  I  have  been  in- 
carnated' as  a  high  mandarin,  and  I  have  never 
oppressed  my  people  nor  makreated  my  sub- 
ordinates. I  have  helped  them  in  misfortune; 
I  have  rescued  them  from  poverty ;  I  have  taken 
compassion  on  their  orphans;  I  have  forgiven 
their  transgressions;  I  have  extensively  prac- 
tised secret  virtue  (yin  chih^)  which  is  attuned 
to  heaven  above.^^^  If  you  are  able  to  keep 
your  hearts  as  I  have  kept  mine,  Heaven  will 
surely  bestow  upon  you  blessings.  Therefore, 
these  are  the  instructions  I  declare  unto  man- 
kind :^ 

He  who  wants  to  expand  the  field  of  happi- 
ness,"* let  him  lay  the  foundation  of  it  on  the 
bottom  of  his  heart. ^^'' 

Practise  benevolence^  wherever  you  find  an 
opportunity,  and  let  your  deeds  of  merit  be 
unheeded  (yin). 

Benefit  all  creatures^;  benefit  the  people.^*^^ 


l8  YIN    CHIH   WEN. 

Practise  goodness:  acquire  merit. 

Be  honest  like  Heaven  in  conducting  your 
affairs. 

Compassionate  and  auspicious,  the  state  gov- 
ernment must  be  devoted  to  the  salvation  of  the 
people. 

Let  your  heart  be  impartial  and  wide  of 
range.*^*^^ 

Fulfil  the  four  obligations^;  impartially  ob- 
serve the  three  doctrines.' 

Be  faithful  and  reverential  to  the  ruler.  Be 
filial  and  obedient  to  parents.^^'°  Be  congenial 
and  friendly  to  brothers.  Be  sincere  in  your 
intercourse  with  friends. '° 

Let  some  worship  the  Truthful  One,"  and 
revere  the  Northern  Constellation,*^*^"  while 
others  bow  before  the  Buddha  and  recite  su- 
tras.^*^'^ 

By  discoursing  on  morality  and  righteous- 
ness, convert  both  the  cunning  and  the  dull. 
By  preaching  on  the  canonical  books  and  his- 
tories, enlighten  the  ignorant  and  the  be- 
nighted. 

Relieve  people  in  distress  as  speedily  as  you 
must  release  a  fish  from  a  dry  rill  [lest  he  die]. 
Deliver  people  from  danger  as  quickly  as  you 
must  free  a  sparrow  from  a  tight  noose. 

Be  compassionate  to  orphans  and  relieve 
widows.    Respect  the  old  and  help  the  poor. 


THE  TRACT  OF  THE  QUIET   WAY.  I9 

Promote  the  good  and  recommend  the  wise. 
Be  lenient  with  others  and  exacting  with  your- 
self. 

Save  your  clothing  and  provisions  that  ye 
may  befriend  the  hungry  and  cold  on  the  road. 

Give  away  coffins  and  cases  lest  the  dead  of 
the  poor  he  exposed. 

Build  charitable  graveyards  for  unclaimed 
corpses. 

Establish  philanthropic  institutions  for  the 
education  of  children. 

If  your  own  family  is  well  provided,  extend 
a  helping  hand  to  your  relatives.  If  the  har- 
vest fails,  provide  for  and  relieve  your  neigh- 
bors and  friends. 

Let  measures  and  scales  be  accurate;  and 
be  neither  chary  in  selling  nor  exacting  in 
bu3ang. 

Treat  your  servants  with  generosity  and 
consideration.  Do  not  expect  perfection  nor 
be  too  strict  in  your  demands. 

Publish  and  make  known  sutras'""  and  tracts. 
Build  and  repair  temples  and  shrines. 

Distribute  medicine  to  alleviate  the  suffer- 
ing of  the  sick.  With  tea  or  water  relieve  the 
distress  of  the  thirsty. 

Light  lanterns  in  the  night  to  illuminate 
where  people  walk.  Keep  boats  on  rivers  to 
ferry  people  across. 


20  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

Buy  captive  animals  and  give  them  free- 
dom.'^    CC13 

How  commendable  is  abstinence^^  that  dis- 
penses with  the  butcher ! 

While  walking  be  mindful  of  worms  and 
ants. 

Be  cautious  with  fire  and  do  not  set  moun- 
tain woods  or  forests  ablaze. 

Do  not  go  into  the  mountain  to  catch  birds 
in  nets/^  nor  to  the  water  to  poison  fishes  and 
minnows. 

Do  not  butcher  the  ox  that  plows  thy  field. 

Do  not  throw  away  paper  that  is  written 
on.'^ 

Do  not  scheme  for  others'  property. 

Do  not  envy  others'  accomplishments. 

•Do  not  approach  thy  neighbor's  wife  or 
maids. 

Do  not  stir  thy  neighbors  to  litigation. 

Do  not  injure  thy  neighbor's  reputation  or 
interest. 

Do  not  meddle  with  thy  neighbor's  conjugal 
affairs. 

Set  not,  for  personal  malice,  brothers  at  var- 
iance with  one  another. 

Set  not  father  and  son  at  variance  for  tri- 
fles. 

Never  take  advantage  of  your  power,  nor 
disgrace  the  good  and  law-abiding. 


THE   TRACT   OF   THE   QUIET    WAY.  21 

Presume  not,  ye  that  are  rich;  nor  deceive 
the  needy  and  suffering. 

While  attending  to  your  duty/''  be  humble 
and  modest. 

Live  in  concord  with  your  relatives  and 
clansmen. 

Let  go  hatred'^  and  forgive  malice. 

Those  that  are  good,  seek  ye  for  friends; 
that  will  help  3^ou  to  practise  virtue  with  body 
and  soul.  Those  that  are  wicked,  keep  at  a 
distance;  it  will  prevent  evil  from  approaching 
you. 

Pass  in  silence  over  things  wicked,  but  pro- 
mulgate all  that  is  good. 

Do  not  assert  with  your  mouth  what  your 
heart  denies.* 

Always  have  in  mind  helpful  sayings. 

Do  not  use  improper  language. 

Cut  the  brambles  and  thorns  that  obstruct 
the  highway.  Remove  bricks  and  stones  that 
lie  in  the  path. 

Repair  the  defiles  though  for  many  hundred 
years  they  have  remained  unimproved. 

Build  bridges  to  be  traversed  by  thousands 
and  ten  thousands  of  people. 

*  This  recalls  the  fact  that  in  Babylon  "to  say  'yea'  with 
the  mouth,  and  'nay'  with  the  heart.  ..was  repeatedly  branded 
as  a  sin."  See  Delitzsch,  Babel  and  Bible:  Two  Lectures, 
p.  47,  and  "Third  and  Last  Lecture"  in  The  Open  Court,  XX, 
p.  151.    Cf.  also  the  Biblical  expression  in  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31. 


22  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

Expound  moral  maxims  to  correct  the  peo- 
ple's faults. 

Supply  the  means  to  give  instruction  to  peo- 
ple of  talent. 

Let  your  work  conform  to  Heaven's  rea- 
son,^^''^  and  let  your  speech  express  humane- 
ness. 

Keep  the  ancient  sages  before  your  eyes  even 
when  at  supper  or  while  looking  over  the 
fence. '^ 

Be  mindful  when  you  are  alone^*^'"^  in  the 
shadov/  of  your  coverlet.^"    , 

Anything  evil  refrain  ye  from  doing  i^^''* 
all  good  deeds  do!^'  So  will  you  be  released 
forever  from  the  influence  of  evil  stars,  and 
always  be  encompassed  by  good  guardian  an- 
gel s.^^ 

Rewards  may  be  immediate,  and  you  will 
receive  them  in  person,  or  rewards  may  be 
remote,  and  will  devolve  upon  your  posterity. 

Blessings  come  a  hundredfold  in  loads  as  if 
drawn  by  horses;  good  fortune  is  piled  up  a 
thousandfold  like  a  mass  of  clouds. 

Do  not  all  these  things  accrue  to  the  heart 
of  the  quiet  way  ? 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMEN- 
TATOR 


NOTES   OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMEN- 
TATOR. 

I.    MAN'S   INDEBTEDNESS   TO   THE  LORD. 

The  Lord  Superior  takes  compassion  on  the  ig- 
norance of  all  sentient  beings,  who  are  unable  to  lib- 
erate themselves  from  the  curse  of  their  karma.  So 
he  proclaims  these  moral  instructions,  thereby  to  lead 
to  enlightenment  the  generations  to  come. 

His  love  is  greater  than  that  of  a  father  who  in- 
structs his  children ;  his  discipline  is  greater  than  that 
of  a  master  who  trains  his  disciples.  How  sincere, 
earnest,  and  kindhearted  are  his  words!  They  are 
surely  the  road  that  leads  to  sainthood  and  enlighten- 
ment, the  best  method  that  avoids  misfortune  and  res- 
cues us  from  evil. 

May  people  who  receive  these  instructions  exert 
all  their  mental  energy  to  put  them  in  practice  and  be 
attuned  to  the  Great  Lord's  boundless  love  to  save 
the  world. 

2.   HEAVEN   AND   EARTH.* 

Chou-tze  says :  "Heaven  and  Earth  are  constantly 
at  work  to  regenerate  the  ten  thousand  things.     That 

*  The  term  "heaven  and  earth"  stands  for  the  two  divine 
principles,  also  called  yang  and  yin,  which  shape  all  conditions 
in  the  world  including  the  destinies  of  human  affairs. 


26  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

is  their  puqDort.  If  the  thought  of  a  person  is  always 
bent  on  benefiting  others,  then  he  becomes  himself 
Heaven  and  Earth. 

"It  is  not  sufficient  for  an  officer  of  high  position 
to  refrain  from  coveting  promotion  ana  from  seek- 
ing wealth.  He  should  employ  his  benevolence  so  as 
to  benefit  his  fellow  men ;  otherwise  the  purpose  for 
which  Heaven  has  created  us  will  be  altogether  lost." 

A   GOOD   JUDGE.* 

In  olden  times,  Yii  King,  judge  of  the  crim- 
inal court,  was  held  in  such  high  esteem  [on 
account  of  his  virtue]  that  a  gateway  for  four- 
horse  carriages  was  erected  in  his  honor. 

Yii  King  of  the  Han  dynasty  (206  B.  C.  to  A.  D. 
23)  was  judge  of  a  criminal  court  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  China.  In  his  district  there  was  a  young  widow 
who,  on  account  of  her  parental  devotion,  showed  no 
disposition  to  marry  again,  lest  her  mother-in-law  be 
left  without  support.  The  aged  woman,  however,  was 
so  much  distressed  over  her  helplessness  that  finally 
she  hanged  herself  to  release  her  daughter-in-law  from 
the  duty  of  self-sacrifice.  Her  own  daughter  hearing 
of  the  incident  went  to  court  and  charged  her  sister- 
in-law  with  murder,  and  the  latter,  unable  to  vindicate 
herself,  was  condemned  to  death  in  spite  of  Yii  King's 

*  The  words  printed  in  large  type  in  the  present  and  the 
three  following  notes  belong  in  all  original  Chinese  editions 
to  the  text  of  the  Yin  Chih  Wen  proper.  Accordingly  we  have 
set  them  in  the  same  type  in  which  our  translation  of  the  text 
is  set,  but  have  removed  them  to  the  Chinese  Commentary, 
because  they  appear  to  be  out  of  place  in  the  text.  Compare 
note  3  on  page  39. 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMENTATOR.    27 

protest.  After  this  tragedy,  Heaven  failed  to  give  rain 
all  along  the  eastern  coast  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
When  a  new  governor  was  installed,  Yii  King  ex- 
plained to  him  the  cause  of  the  long  drought.  There- 
upon the  grave  of  the  dutiful  daughter-in-law  was 
officially  decorated,  and  then  at  last  it  started  to  rain. 
Yii  King  showed  his  humane  disposition  in  many 
other  trials.  When  the  elder  people  in  his  district  pro- 
posed to  repair  his  family  gate  which  was  dilapidating, 
Yii  King  advised  them  to  have  it  raised  and  enlarged, 
so  that  a  four-horse  carriage  could  be  driven  through 
it,  saying:  "I  have  a  great  many  times  in  my  official 
life  practised  secret  virtue  (yin  teh)  and  have  never 
condemned  the  innocent.  Among  my  descendants  there 
will  surely  be  some  one  who  will  rise  high  and  will 
occupy  important  positions."  And  so  things  came  to 
pass.  His  son  became  prime  minister  and  was  created 
a  noble,  and  his  grandson,  too,  was  promoted  to  a  re- 
sponsible position  in  the  government. 

HUMANENESS  REWARDED.* 

The  Toil  family  saved  people  and  thus  nobly 
obtained  the  five-branched  olea.' 

Tou  Yii-Chiin  was  not  yet  favored  with  a  son 
when  he  was  thirty  years  old.  One  night  his  grand- 
father appeared  to  him  in  a  dream  and  said :  "You 
may  not  have  any  issue  at  all,  nor  may  you  live  long, 
unless  you  are  diligent  in  performing  benevolent 
deeds." 

*  See  footnote  on  page  26,  and  note  3,  page  39. 

'  Olea  or  cassia  is  kzvei  in  Chinese  and  symbolizes  success, 
prosperity,  and  honor. 


28  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

Yii-Chiin  was  a  well-to-do  man  and  could  afford 
to  do  many  benevolent  things.  One  of  his  servants 
stole  a  considerable  svmi  of  money  from  his  chest. 
When  the  fact  was  exposed,  the  guilty  one  fled  leaving 
his  daughter  thirteen  years  old,  to  whom  a  note  was 
attached  which  read :  "Offer  this  girl  and  my  house 
for  sale.  With  the  money  thus  realized  I  wish  to  pay 
my  debt." 

Yii-Chiin  burned  the  note,  took  the  girl  to  his 
own  house,  and  had  her  reared  by  his  wife.  When 
she  reached  maturity  he  gave  her  a  large  dowry  and 
chose  for  her  a  good  husband.  When  her  father  heard 
of  it  he  was  greatly  affected  and  returned  home  full 
of  repentance.  His  old  master  forgave  him  and  did 
not  say  anything  about  his  former  crime. 

Yii-Chun  did  many  other  good  things.  The  poor 
who  could  not  afford  funeral  services  for  their  dead, 
were  liberally  assisted  by  him,  and  those  who  could 
not,  on  account  of  a  lack  of  dowry,  give  their  daugh- 
ters in  marriage,  were  handsomely  supplied  with  gold. 
Poor  children  were  educated  and  the  helpless  taken 
care  of,  while  he  himself  lived  most  frugally.  He 
also  built  a  large  library  and  gave  employment  to 
many  learned  men. 

In  the  meantime  he  saw  again  his  grandfather  in 
a  dream,  who  said:  "You  were  originally  destined 
not  to  have  any  offspring  and  to  live  only  a  few  more 
years.  But  on  account  of  your  humane  deeds,  your 
merits  have  been  recorded  by  the  Heavenly  Lord. 
Your  life  will  be  prolonged  and  you  will  have  five 
children  who  will  be  very  prosperous." 

"The  way  of  Yin  and  Yang,"  the  spirit  added, 
"is  like  the  law  of  Karma.  The  reward  may  become 
manifest  either  in  this  life  or  in  succeeding  lives.    The 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMENTATOR.    29 

heavenly  net  is  vast  and  hangs  loosely,  but  it  never 
permits  things  to  escape.  You  must  cherish  no  doubt 
about  this." 

Yii-Chiin's  five  sons  successfully  passed  the  literary 
examinations  and  were  promoted  to  high  official  po- 
sitions. 

5.    SAVING    MANY   LIVES.* 

He  who  took  pity  on  ants  attained  the  high- 
est literary  honor. 

Sung  Chiao  and  Sung  Ch'i  (eleventh  century  A. 
D.)  were  brothers.  When  they  were  both  at  college, 
a  strange  Buddhist  monk  examined  their  physiognomy 
and  prophesied:  "The  younger  Sung  will  be  the  first 
on  the  list  of  literary  graduates,  and  the  elder,  too, 
will  unfailingly  pass." 

Ten  years  later,  the  elder  Sung  again  happened 
to  meet  the  monk  on  the  road.  The  monk  showed 
great  astonishment,  exclaiming:  "Your  fortunes  have 
suddenly  changed.  You  look  as  if  you  had  saved 
millions  of  lives."  Sung  said,  laughing:  "How  could 
I,  a  poor  follower  of  Confucius,  achieve  such  a  feat 
as  that?"  "Yes,"  replied  the  monk,  "Even  the  mean- 
est creatures  are  enjoying  their  lives  you  know."  Re- 
flecting a  little  while.  Sung  said:  "I  remember  that 
about  ten  days  ago  I  found  an  ants'  nest  under  my 
porch  in  danger  of  being  flooded.  I  took  a  few  bam- 
boo sticks  and  made  a  bridge  over  the  water  to  let  the 
poor  ants  cross  over  it.  May  this  be  it?"  "Exactly," 
answered  the  monk,  "the  younger  Sung  is  now  lead- 
ing the  list  but  you  will  not  be  second  to  him." 

When  the  order  of  literary  graduates  was  declared, 

*  See  footnote  on  page  26,  and  note  3,  page  39. 


30  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

the  younger  Sung  was  found  to  be  the  first  and  the 
elder  Sung  the  second.  But  the  Empress  Chang  Hsien 
decreed  that  the  younger  brother  should  not  precede 
the  elder,  and  Sung  Chiao  was  put  at  the  head  of  the 
list. 

6.    THE   DOUBLE-HEADED    SNAKE.* 

He  who  buried  [out  of  sight]  the  snake  [of 
bad  omen]  was  deemed  worthy  of  the  honor 
of  premiership. 

Shun  Shu-Ao,  of  Chu  state,  when  a  boy,  used  to 
go  out  very  frequently.  One  day  he  saw  a  double- 
headed  snake  which  he  killed  and,  to  put  it  out  of 
sight,  buried  it  in  the  ground.  He  came  home  in 
gloom  and  showed  no  appetite  at  the  table.  An  anx- 
ious inquiry  of  his  mother  brought  him  to  tears,  and 
he  said  mournfully:  "People  say,  those  who  have  seen 
a  double-headed  snake  are  doomed  to  die  soon.  I  saw 
one  to-day  and  fear  that  before  long  I  shall  die,  mother, 
and  will  have  to  leave  you  alone."  The  mother  then 
asked  him,  "Where  is  the  snake  now?"  "Fearing 
that  others  might  see  it  too,  I  killed  and  buried  it." 
"Never  mind  then,"  replied  the  mother,  "you  will 
not  die.  I  understand  that  secret  virtue  (yin  teh) 
brings  rewards  that  are  open.  Where  there  is  virtue, 
thither  will  be  gathered  a  thousand  blessings.  Where 
there  is  benevolence,  a  hundred  evils  are  distanced. 
Heaven  above  attends  to  affairs  below.  Yovi  are  sure 
to  become  eminent  in  this  state." 

When  Shun  was  a  man,  he  was  made  a  minister 
of  state. 

*  See  footnote  on  page  26,  and  note  3,  page  39. 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMENTATOR.    3 1 

7.   THE  FOUNDATION   OF  BLISS 

All  deeds  originate  in  the  heart.- 

All  the  good  acts  that  are  enumerated  below  be- 
gin in  the  heart  and  are  completed,  too,  in  the  heart. 
The  heart's  inmost  recess  is  the  very  spot  where  there 
is  Heaven  and  where  there  is  Hell. 

The  difference  between  sages  such  as  Yao  and 
Shun  and  wretches  such  as  Chieh  or  Chou,  simply 
pivots  here  around  this  puny  little  thing.  Unex- 
pected blessings  grow,  as  it  were,  in  a  very  actual  field, 
which  can  be  ploughed  and  harvested.  The  heart, 
though  spiritual  and  mysterious,  yet  possesses  a  solid, 
tangible   soil,  which  can  be  watered  and  tilled. 

The  soul  of  a  true,  earnest  gentleman^  has  its 
root  in  this  obscure  recess,  which  he  examines  and 
purifies  in  solemn  silence  and  privacy.  ]\Ierely  this, 
a  heart  to  save  the  world ;  not  one  mote  of  a  heart 
for  worldliness.  Merely  this,  a  heart  to  love  mankind ; 
not  a  mote  of  a  heart  for  hatred  of  people.  Merely 
this,  a  heart  to  have  respect  for  others ;  not  a  mote 
of  a  heart  for  making  light  of  the  world.  Merely  this, 
a  heart  earnestly  to  promote  one's  conversion ;  not  a 
mote  of  a  heart  for  indulgent  self-delusion.  This  is 
the  way  of  self-purification  and  the  sure  foundation 
of  bliss. 

^This  passage  resembles  the  first  line  of  the  Dhamma- 
pada  and  may  be  a  translation  of  it. 

^  Shih.  The  term  literally  means  "scholar,"  but  it  is  also 
used  in  the  sense  of  "gentleman,"  being  a  title  given  to  per- 
sons of  distinction,  sometimes  equivalent  to  the  English 
"Esquii-e."  It  covers  the  ideal  of  a  truly  respectable  man  who 
deserves  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


32  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 


8.    SEEK  TRUTH   FOR   THE   SAKE   OF   SALVATION. 

Ch'ang-tze  says :  "If  a  respectable  gentleman  is 
at  all  disposed  towards  lovingkindness,  he  cannot 
help  doing  things  beneficial  to  others."  Supplementing 
this,  Ch'en  An-Shan  says:  "If  a  villain  is  ever  bent 
on  selfishness,  he  will  surely  do  things  harmful  to 
others."     Both  of  these  sayings  are  indisputably  true. 

Those  who  are  able  to  think  of  others  are  called 
superior  men,  and  those  who  think  of  themselves  are 
called  small  men.  The  difference  is  in  one's  own 
fundamental  thought,  whether  it  is  of  the  ego  or  not. 
Some  incessantly  accumulate  evils,  others  good  deeds ; 
and  when  we  see  the  result,  it  is  the  difference  be- 
tween Heaven  and  Earth. 

Li  Kwang-Yiien,  an  eminent  seeker  of  truth,  was 
once  warned  by  a  strange  saintly  personage,  thus:  "I 
see  thou  art  seeking  truth.  But  wouldst  thou  have  it 
for  thy  private  self,  saints  and  gods  will  have  no  re- 
gard for  thee."  Are  not  gods  and  saints*  as  well  as 
sages  and  holy  men^  bent  on  saving  the  world?  Some 
seek  saintliness  in  their  pursuit  of  life  everlasting  and 
immortality;  but  if  their  hearts  are  tainted  with  a 
single  thought  of  egotism,  they  are  grievously  at  fault, 
though  it  be  hidden  and  they  know  it  not ;  and  there 
is  no  thought  of  their  ever  attaining  to  saintship. 

9.  THE  DISEASE  OF  EGOTISM. 

Mother  Cheng  used  to  instruct  her  children  to  this 
efifect :  "When  others  do  good,  fall  in  line  as  if  it  were 
your  work  and  be  sure  to  bring  it  to  completion.  Treat 

*  The  ideals  of  Taoism. 

''The  ideals  of  the  Confucians. 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMENTATOR.    33 

Others'  property  as  if  it  were  your  own,  so  you  will 
be  thoughtful  in  using  it." 

Hsieh  Wen-Ching  says:  "The  reason  why  a  man 
has  thousands  of  troubles  is  because  he  clings  to  the 
idea  of  self;  therefore,  he  schemes  and  contrives  in 
ten  thousand  different  ways.  He  alone  wants  to  be 
rich,  he  alone  wants  to  be  honored,  he  alone  wants  to 
be  easy,  he  alone  wants  to  be  happy,  he  alone  wants 
to  enjoy  life,  he  alone  wants  to  be  blessed  with  longev- 
ity ;  and  to  others'  poverty,  misery,  danger,  or  suffer- 
ing, he  is  altogether  indifferent.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  the  life-wilP  of  others  is  disregarded  and  Heav- 
en's Reason  neglected.  Only  be  cured  of  the  disease  of 
egotism,  and  your  heart  will  be  broadened  even  to  the 
vastness  of  infinite  space,  so  that  wealth,  honor,  happi- 
ness, comfort,  health,  longevity  could  all  be  enjoyed 
Vv'ith  others.  And,  then,  the  w'ill  to  live  will  have  its 
way,  everything  will  have  its  natural  longings  satisfied, 
and  Heaven's  Reason  will  be  displayed  in  an  untold 
exuberance. 

10.   FILIAL   PIETY. 

Filial  piety  is  the  guide  of  all  actions.  It  is  the 
ultimate  root  of  humaneness ;  and  is  it  possible  that 
the  root  be  rotten  while  the  branches  and  leaves  grow 
luxuriously  ? 

*  The  term  sheng  i,  i.  e.  "life-will,"  is  a  noteworthy  antici- 
pation of  Schopenhauer's  idea  of  the  "will  to  live."  The  com- 
mentator insists  that  our  egotism  and  vanity  is  the  main  cause 
of  evil  in  the  world, — an  idea  apparently  imbibed  from  Bud- 
dhism, and  he  declares  that  we  should  let  sheng  i,  the  "will 
to  live,"  as  it  exists  in  other  creatures,  develop  without  hin- 
drance, which  will  result  in  an  untold  exuberance  of  the  dis- 
play of  T'ien  Tao,  Heavenly  Reason. 


34  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

Yao-Jao  Hou  says:  "The  four  essential  elements 
of  filial  piety  are :  ( i )  To  be  established  in  virtue ; 
(2)  To  keep  up  the  family;  (3)  To  keep  the  body 
unimpaired  ;  (4)  To  cultivate  the  character." 

Pious  children  will  not  let  their  parents'  hearts 
be  roused  to  thoughts  of  cold  indifference.  They  will 
not  let  their  parents'  hearts  be  annoyed  or  harassed. 
They  will  not  let  their  parents'  hearts  be  alarmed  or 
filled  with  fear.  They  will  not  let  their  parents'  hearts 
be  grieved  or  embarrassed.  They  will  not  let  their 
parents'  hearts  be  perplexed.  They  will  not  let  their 
parents'  hearts  feel  ashamed  or  indignant. 


II.  SEVERAL  WAYS. 

In  his  anxiety  lest  all  people  might  not  be  induced 
to  goodness,  the  Lord  Superior  invites  them  to  come 
to  him  in  any  way  they  may  be  pleased  to  follow.  They 
may  pay  homage  at  the  Taoist  sanctuary ;  they  may 
worship  the  Northern  Constellation ;  they  may  bow 
before  the  Buddha  and  recite  his  Sutras :  if  they  only 
do  so  with  singleness  and  sincerity  of  heart,  these 
roads  will  lead  to  goodness ;  but  there  should  be  no 
thought  of  attaininc^  blessings  or  acquiring  rewards. 


12.   BUDDHISM   AND   CONFUCIANISM. 

P'an  Ch'ung-Mou  says: 

"What  is  to  be  avoided  most  in  our  life  is  vacil- 
lation and  frivolity  {wang  nien)  ;  and  what  is  most 
excellent  is  a  reverential  heart.  Therefore,  we  Con- 
fucians endeavor  to  preserve  sincerity  of  heart  and 
consider  reverence  as  most  essential.     It  is  needless 


NOTES  OF  THE  CHINESE  COMMENTATOR.    35 

to  say  that  sincerity  and  reverence  make  us  compan- 
ions of  heaven  and  earth,  gods  and  spirits. 

"There  is,  however,  another  class  of  people  who 
adopt  Buddhism  as  their  guidance.  They  bow  before 
the  Buddha  and  recite  his  Sutras,  always  bent  on  pre- 
serving reverence  and  awe.  They  will  never  relax 
their  vigilant  guard  over  the  heart,  which  will  by  de- 
grees become  pure  and  bright,  free  from  evil  thoughts 
and  ready  to  do  good.  This  enlightenment  is  called 
their  most  happy  land.'^  What  is  necessary,  then,  for 
Buddhists  as  well  as  Confucians  is  to  avoid  vacillation 
and  frivolity,  which  will  render  you  unreliable.  Keep 
the  heart  always  restrained  by  reverence  and  awe. 
Otherwise  what  can  be  the  use  of  the  recitation  of 
Sutras  or  the  discourses  of  Confucius?" 

13.  A  SYMPATHETIC  HEART. 

The  great  virtue  of  heaven  and  earth  is  to  create, 
and  all  living  beings,  men  and  animals  alike,  derive 
their  vitality  from  this  one  and  the  same  source.  No- 
where under  the  sun  is  there  a  being  that  dislikes  life 
and  embraces  death  with  joy. 

To  buy  up  captive  animals  for  the  sake  of  setting 
them  free  is  nothing  but  an  outburst  of  a  sympathetic 
heart.  Thoughtless  people  make  light  of  puny  crea- 
tures such  as  ants,  spiders,  etc.,  and  "wantonly  kill 
them,  having  no  thought  of  pity  or  remorse ;  but  pious 
hearts  refrain  from  such  cruelty. 

^  The  commentator  refers  to  the  Western  Paradise  (su- 
khavati)  of  the  Pure  Land  sect,  which  is  here  interpreted  as 
a  state  of  mind. 


36  YIN    CHIH   WEN. 

14.  THE  VOICE  WITHIN.' 

"Heaven's  Reason  consists  of  two  words ;  but  they 
are  in  your  own  heart.  If  when  you  do  a  thing,  there 
remains  in  your  heart  some  misgiving,  then  your  deed 
is  against  Heaven  and  contrary  to  Reason.  A  virtuous 
man  punctiHously  guards  himself  when  alone,  solely 
to  retain  Heaven's  Reason®  and  to  calm  human  desires. 
Therefore  says  Tung  Ch'ung-Shu  [a  famous  Confu- 
cian] :  "Attend  to  your  duty  and  scheme  not  for  gain. 
Look  after  what  you  ought  to  do  and  measure  not 
your  merit." 

^  ^  ^ 

The  source  of  good  and  evil  is  in  the  heart,  and 
the  best  method  of  controlling  it  is  a  reverential  atti- 
tude of  the  heart. 

Ever  turbulent  is  the  heart  of  him  who  does  evil ; 
ever  wakeful  is  the  heart  of  him  who  does  good. 

The  teachings  of  holy  men  are  written  in  the  six 
canonical  books.  There  are  thousand  gates  and  ten 
thousand  doors ;  through  which  shall  we  enter  ?  The 
main  thing  is  to  guard  oneself  when  alone,  lest  one  go 
astray ;  then  you  will  see  how  one's  strength  grows. 
+       *       * 

Proceed  in  goodness  for  a  thousand  days  and  there 
will  be  not  enough ;  proceed  in  evil  for  half  a  minute 
and  you  will  have  too  much. 

'These  three  passages  deaHng  with  the  same  subject  are 
three  consecutive  comments  as  indicated  by  the  references. 

*  Heaven's  Reason  is  here  not  T'ien  Tao,  but  T'ien  Li, 
which  means  "reason"  or  "rationality"  in  the  commonly  ac- 
cepted sense. 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTES 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTES. 


'  The  doctrine  of  reincarnation  is  not  indigenous  in  China. 
We  must  consider  this  opening  passage  as  showing  a  strong 
Hindu  influence  which  was  introduced  to  China  through  Bud- 
dhism. The  Jdtaka  Stories  tell  us  that  Buddha  appeared  a 
great  many  times  as  a  Bodhisattva  on  this  earth,  again  and 
again  practising  the  six  virtues  of  perfection  (pdramitd) .  The 
Taoist  Book  of  Incarnations  {Hua  Shu),  contains  narrations 
of  the  previous  lives  of  Lord  Scripture  Glory,  written  in  the 
same  tone  as  the  Buddhist  Jdtaka. 

'  For  the  exact  meaning  of  this  word  see  the  Preface. 

*  We  omit  here  a  few  lines  which  to  the  English  reader, 
not  familiar  with  Chinese  ways,  would  appear  to  interrupt  the 
context.  In  the  opening  sentence  of  the  Chinese  text,  Lord 
Scripture  Glory  alludes  to  a  number  of  moral  stories,  well 
known  among  the  Chinese,  as  instances  of  rewards  of  virtue. 
We  have  removed  the  lines  here  omitted  to  the  Chinese  Com- 
mentary, where  they  are  printed  in  the  same  type  as  our  trans- 
lation of  the  text  of  Yin  Chili  Wen,  so  as  to  render  them 
easily  recognizable.  For  all  we  know  the  passages  may  be  a 
later  addition  which  has  crept  into  the  text,  but  even  then,  of 
course,  they  must  be  older  than  the  commentaries  belonging 
to  them  in  which  the  stories  alluded  to  are  told.  For  further 
details  see  the  Chinese  Commentary  3-6,  entitled  "A  Good 
Judge,"  "Humaneness  Rewarded,"  "Saving  Many  Lives,"  and 
"The  Double-Headed  Snake." 

*  "Bliss  of  happiness"  is  a  Buddhist  term  and  its  Sanskrit 
original  is  probably  punyakshetra. 

"  The  word  benevolence  translates  the  Chinese  fang  pien 
literally  "deeds  of  benevolence,"  which  is  the  common  version 


40  YIN    CHIH    WEN. 

of  the  Buddhist  term  ul>aya  and  means  "method"  or  "success- 
ful way  of  attaining  an  end."  It  is  especially  applied  in  the 
literature  of  the  Mahayana,  in  the  sense  which  the  English 
word  "method"  has  acquired  among  Wesleyan  Methodists. 
Prajna,  "wisdom,"  is  in  itself  insufficient  because  it  is  en- 
lightenment in  the  abstract.  In  order  to  become  efficient  for 
salvation  it  must  be  applied,  and  the  method  of  applying 
prajna  is  upaya,  commonly  designated  kausala,  i.  e.,  "good  or 
excellent."  The  method  of  salvation  according  to  Buddhist 
teachers  is  by  "deeds  of  benevolence"  as  indicated  by  its 
Chinese  translation. 

The  commentator  interprets  the  term  fang  pien  in  a  popu- 
lar sense  and  takes  it  for  "any  deed  that  is  beneficial  to  oth- 
ers." In  Buddhism  this  word  plays  a  very  important  part,  and 
its  adoption  here  shows  how  strongly  the  author  of  this  short 
treatise  was  influenced  by  Indian  thought. 

®  "Creatures"  should  be  understood  in  the  broadest  sense, 
lor  it  refers  to  all  objects  about  us. 

'  "Impartiality  of  heart"  again  belongs  to  Buddhist  phra- 
seology. The  Sanskrit  original  is  samatdcitta  or  samatahri- 
daya.  The  commentator,  however,  understands  it  in  the  sense 
of  the  Confucian  Golden  Rule,  that  whatever  you  do  not  de- 
sire to  have  done  to  you,  you  should  not  do  to  others  (the 
Lun  Yu,  XII,2i),  and  also  in  the  Buddhist  sense  that  a  Bodhi- 
sattva  (intelligent  being)  should  be  free  from  the  thought  of 
an  ego  (atmasamjnd).     (The  Diamond-Cutter  Sutra.) 

'  According  to  a  Chinese  Buddhist  sutra,  the  first  obliga- 
tion is  to  the  parents,  the  second  to  all  sentient  beings,  the 
third  to  the  ruler  of  the  country,  and  the  fourth  to  the  Triple 
Treasure  (triratna)  of  Buddhism.  Though  the  author  must 
have  borrowed  the  idea  from  Buddhism,  the  commentator's 
enum.eration  does  not  agree  with  the  latter.  He  puts  teachers 
and  elders  in  place  of  the  Triple  Treasure,  and  Heaven  and 
Earth,  for  all  sentient  beings. 

'The  three  doctrines  are  Confucianism,  Buddhism  and 
Taoism.  The  commentator  evidently  thinks  humaneness  (jen) 
to  be  the  essence  of  Confucianism,  compassion  (karund)  that 


TRANSLATOR  S  NOTES.  4I 

of  Buddhism,  and  response  and  retribution  (kan  ying)  that  of 
Taoism,  and  declares  that  they  all  come  out  of  the  human 
heart,  which  is  one  and  the  same  in  all  three  religions. 

"  It  is  strange  that  the  author  does  not  say  anything  here 
about  the  relation  between  husband  and  wife,  while  he  is 
manifestly  referring  to  the  five  eternal  virtues  (wu  chang) 
of  Confucianism. 

"  The  term  "the  Truthful  One"  (i.  e.,  chen)  refers  to  the 
religion  of  the  Taoists.  Chen  may  denote  Lao  Tze,  or  the 
doctrine  in  general,  or  Taoist  saints,  or  the  Taoist  sacred  book, 
T'ai-Shang  Kan-Ying  P'ien. 

^The  term  "Sutras"  originally  refers  only  to  Buddhist 
books,  but  the  commentator  does  not  wish  to  have  the 
phrase  interpreted  in  that  sense,  and  says :  "Though  they  seem 
specifically  to  denote  Buddhist  literature,  we  may  better  under- 
stand them  as  virtually  including  all  the  classical  books  be- 
longing to  the  three  religions." 

"This  is  a  Buddhist  custom,  for  the  saving  of  lives  is 
considered  to  be  very  meritorious.  The  Buddhist  theory  is 
that  if  in  this  life  we  do  not  act  humanely  we  are  sure  to  be 
born  in  the  form  of  a  lower  animal  and  to  suffer  for  what 
we  have  done.  We  may  perchance  find  some  of  our  own  an- 
cestors among  horses  or  dogs  or  birds  whom  we  now  treat 
carelessly  and  contemptuously,  forgetting  the  good  they  did 
for  us. 

"  This  is  also  distinctly  a  Buddhist  sentiment,  not  orig- 
inally found  in  China. 

"In  the  Lun  Yu  (Confucian  Analects)  we  read:  "The 
Master  angled,  but  did  not  use  a  net.  He  shot,  but  not  at 
birds  perching."  (XII,  27.)  The  passage  is  understood  to 
mean  that  Confucius  was  so  tender-hearted  as  not  to  take 
advantage  of  animals  when  hunting,  and  that  he  killed  them 
only  when  it  was  necessary  for  the  sustenance  of  human  life. 

"The  Chinese  show  great  respect  for  writing  and  writing 
materials,  because,  they  say,  by  them  we  become  acquainted 
with  the  virtues,  wisdom  and  sayings  of  ancient  sages.     Any 


42  YIN   CHIH   WEN. 

writing,  to  the  Chinese,  partakes  of  the  nature  of  spirit,  and 
there  is  a  special  order  of  monks  who  make  it  their  duty  to 
collect  written  scraps  of  paper  and  burn  them,  to  save  them 
the  disgrace  of  any  disrespectful  treatment. 

"  Says  a  Taoist  sage,  according  to  the  commentator :  "I 
have  three  canonical  books,  which  altogether  consist  of  only 
six  characters.  The  one-character  book  reads,  'Meekness' ;  the 
two-character  book,  'Good-will' ;  and  the  three-character  book, 
'Do  your  duty.'  These  three  sacred  books  are  not  found  in 
the  Great  Tripitaka  [collection  of  Buddhist  literature],  but  in 
your  own  heart." 

"  "Let  go  hatred"  translates  the  words  hsieh  yilan.  "To 
owe  a  grudge"  is  called  in  Chinese,  "Tieing  (the  knot  of) 
hatred  or  enmity,"  that  is,  chieh  yiian;  and  so  to  return  to  an 
amicable  relation  is  conceived  as  a  loosening,  or  untieing. 

"This  means  not  to  forget  for  a  moment  the  deeds  or 
instructions  of  wise  men  of  old,  "to  be  always  on  guard  lest 
the  heart  might  go  astray."  Says  Confucius  (Lun  Yil,  IV,  5)  : 
"The  superior  man  does  not,  even  for  a  space  of  a  single  meal, 
act  contrary  to  virtue.  In  moments  of  haste  his  mind  dwells 
on  it.  In  time  of  danger  his  mind  dwells  on  it."  In  the  Chung 
Yung,  {Doctrine  of  the  Mean),  it  is  said  that  the  tao  ("path," 
or  "doctrine")  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  ignored,  for  that 
which  can  be  ignored  is  not  the  tao. 

"This  is  decidedly  Confucian.  The  Great  Learning  (Tai 
Hsiao)  as  well  as  The  Doctrine  of  the  Mean  (Chung  Yung) 
teach  one  to  be  watchful  over  himself  when  he  is  alone.  This 
watchfulness  is  not  merely  intellectual,  but  full  of  religious 
feelings.  In  spite  of  their  agnostic  tendencies,  the  Confucians 
show  a  great  earnestness  and  solemn  reverence  toward  Heav- 
en's Reason  (Tien  Tao). 

"  This  is  one  of  the  noblest  injunctions  given  by  the  Bud- 
dha.    (The  Dhammapada,  verse  1S3).    In  Pali  it  reads : 
"Sabba  papassa  akaranam, 
Kusalassa  upasampada." 
Niao  Che,  a  Buddhist  recluse  who  lived  in  Hang  Chou 
about  800  A.  D.,  declares :  "Even  a  three  year  old  child  can 


TRANSLATOR  S  NOTES.  43 

say  this,  but  even  a  gray-haired  man  finds  it  difficult  to  prac- 
tise."   Cf.  also  Psalm  xxxiv,  14  and  xxxvii,  27. 

"  The  Chinese  word  shen  means  god  or  any  spiritual  be- 
ing, and  according  to  the  context  would  here  best  be  trans- 
lated by  "angel." 


INDEX 


INDEX. 


Abstinence,   commendable,   20. 
Age  of  the  Yin  Chili   IV en,   12. 
Angel,    43. 
Ants,  Mindful   of,  20;    Nest   of,  29. 

Babylon,   21   n. 
Befriend   the    hungry,    19. 
Benefit  all,   17, 

Bliss,    Foundation  of,   31;   of  hap- 
piness,  39. 
Books  in  heart,  42. 
Brothers  at  variance,  20. 
Buddha,    18,   34. 
Buddhism,    33- 

Captive    animals,    35;    Buy,    20. 

Ch'ang  8. 

Chang-O    12;    incarnation   of   Wen 

Ch'ang,    10. 
Ch'ang-tze,    32. 
Ch'en  An-Shan,   32. 
Cliih    defined,    4;    first   used,    5. 
Child  can  say  this,   etc.,  42-43. 
Chou-tze,    25. 
Christ,    5. 
Chiin,  8. 

Coffins,    Give    away,    19. 
Confucianism,    34. 
Confucius,   42. 
Convert,    18. 
Coverlet,    22. 

Daniel's  vision,   10. 
Delitzsch,    21    n. 
Deliver   from  danger,    18. 
Dhammapada,   31    n.,   42. 
Discourse   on   morality,    i8. 
Doctrines,    The  three,    i8,   40. 
Douglas,  R.  K.  3,  8. 


Egotism,  32, 

Evil,    Refrain   from,    22. 

Father,   Like   a,   25. 
Filial   piety,   33;   Elements  of,  34. 
Fire,    Be    cautious    with,    20. 
Foundation    of    happiness,    17,    39. 
Four    obligations,     18,    40. 
Frivolity,   34,   35. 
Frontispiece,     by     Shen     Chin- 
Ching,    7. 

Gabriel,   9. 

Golden   Rule   40. 

Good   deeds   do,    22,    42. 

Graveyards,    Build,    19. 

Great   Plan,    5   f. 

Guiding  principle    (.ting)    6. 

Happiness,  Fouiidation  of,    17,  39. 

Hatred,  Let  go,  21. 

Heart,  and  mouth,  21;  Books  in, 
42;  impartial,  18,  40;  Reveren- 
tial, 34. 

Heaven,  and  earth,  23,  26;  Be 
honest  like,  18;  Quiet  way  of, 
4;    Secret  virtue   attuned  to,    17. 

Heaven's  reason,  22,  33  n,  36,  42; 
way  should  be  imitated,    5. 

Helpful  sayings,   21. 

Honest,   Be,  like  Heaven,   j8. 

Hsieh   Wen-Ching,    33. 

Humaneness    rewarded,    27,    29. 

Humble,    Be,   21. 

Hungry,  Befriend  the,   19. 

Improper   language,    21. 
Incarnated  seventeen  times,    17. 


48 


YIN    CHIH    WEN. 


Incarnations,    Book    of,    39. 
Indebtedness   to   the   Lord,    25. 

Jataka    Stories,    39. 
Judge,  A  good,   26. 

Kan-Ying   P'ien,   3. 
Karma,   28. 
Kwan   Ti,   9. 

Lao  Tze,  5,  8  f. 
Life-will,   33   n. 
Light    lanterns,    19. 
Litigation,    Do   not    stir,    20. 
Love  of  the  Lord,  25. 

Marduk,    9. 

Measures,    accurate,    19. 

Meddle,    Do   not,   20. 

Methodists,    40. 

Michael,  9. 

Mindful   of   ants,    20. 

Morality,    Discourse   on,    18. 

Mouth    and    heart,    21. 

Nebo,   9. 

Nietzsche,  8. 

Northern   Constellation,    18,   34. 

Orphans,    17,    18. 
Ox  that  plows,  20. 

Paper    written    on,    20,    41. 
Philanthropic    institutions,     19. 
Popularity  of   Yin  Chih   IV en,   3. 
Practise  goodness,    18. 
Presume  not,   Let  the  rich,   21. 
Proceed  in  goodness,   36. 
Publish  sutras,   19. 

Reincarnation,    17,    39. 
Reverential    heart,    34. 


Rewards,   22. 

Rich  presume  not.  Let  the,  21. 

Salvation  and  truth,   32. 
Schopenhauer,    33   n. 
Scripture   glory,    8. 
Secret,   sin    (Yin   o),    6;   virtue, 

4-5;  virtue  attuned  to  heaven, 

17- 
Self,  Idea  of,  32-33. 
Seventeen     times     incarnated,     17. 
Shakespeare,    5. 
Shen     Chin-Ching,     Frontispiece 

by,    7- 
Shu-King,   5. 

Snake,    Double-headed,    30. 
Suzuki,    Teitaro,    13. 

Three   doctrines,    18,   40. 

Ti,   8,   9- 

Ting,   "Guiding  principle,"   6. 

Title,  Chinese  characters  of,  p. 
15.  Cf.  pp.  3  f.  and  11;  Diffi- 
culties of  translation,  3;  ex- 
plained by  commentator,   6. 

Truth  and  salvation,   32. 

Truthful  One,    18,  41. 

L'nheeded,   Let  deeds  be,    17. 

Ways,    Several,    34. 

IVen,    8. 

Wen  Ch'ang,  9. 

Wen   Ch'ang   Ti   Chun,    7   f. 

Widows,    18. 

Writing,   Respect   for,   20,   41. 

Yang  and  Yin,  28. 
Yin  Chih,  3  ff.,  17. 
Yin    Chih    Wen,    Contents   of,    12; 

Popularity    of,    3. 
Yin   defined,   4. 
Yin   0  "Secret   sin,"  6- 


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